Stephanie Siek

Trump wants more foreign investment and lower trade deficits — but can't have both Trade math doesn't lie.

The numbers don't lie.

Here's how Trump's trade deficit goals may be mathematically impossible.👇

What to know about Senate bill's major changes to student loans The bill cuts the number of repayment plan choices that federal student loan borrowers have down to two.

For millions of current borrowers, fewer repayment options will be available when and if the House passes the current bill. Here's what to know.

Three years after Roe v. Wade was struck down, abortion funds face a financial squeeze Grassroots abortion funds provide financial aid to help people travel to states where abortion is still legal. Demand is rising, but donations aren’t always keeping up.

This week marks three years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, opening the door to stricter abortion laws in much of the country.

Grassroots abortion funds continue helping people reach states where the procedure is legal — but rising demand is outpacing donations.

The various contracts Palantir has with the federal government Joseph Cox, reporter at the tech news site 404 Media, says data analytics company Palantir has been working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to track migrants in real time.

Data analytics company Palantir has been working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to track migrants in real time.

The company’s seen an increase in government contracts as the Trump administration reportedly works to build a centralized database of Americans’ personal information.

Bill that would allow banks to issue “stablecoin” cryptocurrency takes a step closer to becoming law “Stablecoins” are supposed to be worth exactly $1, now and forever. But critics worry that they could cause problem in the noon-crypto economy.

Unless you are super into cryptocurrency, it’s really easy to tune out crypto news.

But you might want to actually pay attention to a bill called the GENIUS Act. We break it down.👇

One of my favorite things about windows-open weather is listening to people enthusiastically singing along to songs in their cars on the street outside my apartment.

American Rendition: Rümeysa Öztürk’s Journey From Ph.D. Scholar to Trump Target Languishing in Louisiana Cell “So horrifying and so heartbreaking”: Öztürk’s close friend provides an intimate look into one of the hundreds of foreign students who have had their visas revoked — and in dozens of instances have be...

Essential journalism, by @hannahallam.bsky.social. Outrageous and heartbreaking.

“It was like a relay race, and she was the baton,” Öztürk’s attorney Mahsa Khanbabai said.

In Germany, there's a volunteer organisation of 400 #journalists called 'Lie Detectors'. Between them, they organise 1,000 school visits a year, training 10-15 yr olds how to spot fake news & pictures, the motives behind them, & the need for critical thinking.
lie-detectors.org/de/

#ProtectMyPublicMedia — American Public Media On March 6, celebrate the power and importance of public media by joining #ProtectMyPublicMedia Day – a national day of action dedicated to sharing why public media matters to our communities. This Th...

Learn more about how you can #ProtectMyPublicMedia (because it is YOUR public media) by visiting: www.americanpublicmedia.org/action

An orange graphic with white lettering reads: I VALUE PUBLIC MEDIA! #PROTECTMYPUBLICMEDIA. At the bottom is the logo for Marketplace and American Public Media.

I value public media, and not just because I work there. I was a longtime listener/watcher before I was an employee. Why? Because I value fact-based info from diverse perspectives- like what I help provide at @marketplace.org and enjoy frm @apmreports.org @npr.org @pbsnews.org. #ProtectMyPublicMedia

Social Security Workers Aren’t Allowed to Read This Story New internet restrictions at the embattled SSA have cut off access to WIRED, along with other “general news” websites like The Washington Post and The New York Times.

NEW: WIRED got IP blocked by the Social Security Administration, among other outlets covering Musk's takeover.

Federal workers are now "prohibited" from accessing our reporting on "government-furnished equipment."

WaPo, NYT, and MSNBC are likewise banned, sources confirm.

A screenshotted excerpt of the linked Washington Post article that reads: Kristi L. Noem, head of the Department of Homeland Security, has posted videos of herself in a flak jacket at the southern border and on immigration raids, including one on Tuesday at an apartment complex in Northern Virginia. Footage from the raids is used in an international TV and digital ad blitz that warns undocumented immigrants to leave the country or be hunted down. At the Conservative Political Action Conference, Noem said the ads had a budget of up to $200 million and had been personally requested by Trump. “We’re not going to let the media tell this story,” Noem recalled Trump saying, as was first reported by Rolling Stone. “We’re going to run a marketing campaign to make sure the American people know the truth.”

Marketing doesn't tell the truth, it sells a product.

wapo.st/41pvswh

Monitoring job performance doesn’t improve it, expert says - Marketplace Adam Grant of The Wharton School describes evidence-based strategies for getting the best out of employees.

Elon Musk wants to know what government workers did at work last week as part of a move to make the federal workforce leaner and more efficient.

But does monitoring job productivity have an effect on your performance? One expert doesn’t think so.

Can the U.S. delete government spending from GDP? - Marketplace Government spending is tied up with consumer and business spending. Not reporting it as part of GDP would breach global accounting standards.

Why not cut government spending from gross domestic product reports?

The short answer from one expert: "it’s completely goofy to take it out."

NEWS: The USAID official put on leave for disseminating two memos about Rubio's failure to push through life-saving foreign aid was in the process of writing a THIRD memo when fired. We obtained it. It's far more alarming than the first two.

www.thebulwark.com/p/what-a-wee...

People’s Union USA calls for "economic blackout" Feb. 28 - Marketplace The activist group has called for a complete boycott of consumer spending in the U.S. on Friday. How much impact could it have?

A small activist group has called for an “economic blackout” and are urging consumers not to make any purchases online or in stores today, especially at major retailers. Here's a look at the impact it could have.

Press Freedoms Around the World | Checkology

Educators: It's an important time to teach about #PressFreedom. In our Checkology lesson, learn:

- How press freedom differs across the world
- How it can be protected or restricted

🔗 bit.ly/PressFreedom...

➕ Reference @rsf.org's most recent index: rsf.org/en/index

Radio host David Brancaccio reflects on losing his home in California wildfire Southern Californians are working to recover from the devastating January wildfires. David Brancaccio, host of the economics news show "Marketplace Morning Report," was one of the thousands who lost t...

"Marketplace Morning Report" host David Brancaccio and his wife lost their new home to one of the fires that recently ravaged Southern California.

He recently appeared on CBS News with Major Garrett to reflect on his loss. 👇

The Courts Blocked Trump’s Federal Funding Freeze. Agencies Are Withholding Money Anyway. Agencies continue to suspend funding, despite multiple court orders blocking the federal freeze. Experts say the Trump administration’s actions set the stage for challenges to Congress’ authority — an...

Courts *ordered* the Trump admin to stop its spending freeze

Yet ProPublica found place after place where $ is still frozen

-hot meals for elderly and disabled
-groceries for those in need
-maternal & child health services
-a clinic that serves the poor

www.propublica.org/article/trum...

An Associated Press reporter was was blocked from an Oval Office event today because the publication "did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America."

Trump wants the CFPB to stop its work. What does the agency do? - Marketplace The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulates financial products on behalf of the public and has returned over $21 billion to consumers.

The Trump administration has ordered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which regulates financial products on behalf of the public, to stop its work. But why was the CFPB created in the first place? And what has it done over its nearly 14-year existence?

Elon Musk is calling for the CFPB's remaining account balance of $711,586,678 to be returned to the American taxpayers.

That you give everyone $2-$3.

But returning Elon Musk’s money to taxpayers would give everyone about $1,300 each.

The Grave Of Octavia Butler, Writer Who Once Prophesied LA Fires, Still Stands In Altadena Cemetery The grave of Octavia Butler, whose novel "Parable Of The Sower" predicted fires engulfing Los Angeles, still stands at a Altadena cemetery.

A sliver of good news from the fire in Altadena.

www.blackenterprise.com/grave-octavi...